Which sector consists of organisations set up to provide goods or services to benefit others, such as charities and voluntary organisations?

• A. Third sector
• B. Private sector
• C. Public sector
• D. Quaternary sector

Answer: (A)

This question is about the third sector. It includes organisations set up to provide goods or services to benefit others rather than to make a profit—think charities, voluntary groups, and community organisations. They’re usually funded by donations, grants, or voluntary work and reinvest any surplus back into their social aims. They sit between the private sector (for-profit businesses) and the public sector (government services). The quaternary sector, by contrast, covers knowledge-based activities like research and information services, not the social-benefit focus described here. So the sector described is the third sector.